


Dance Lessons

by flannery_culp



Series: I Don't Dance [1]
Category: High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: HSM 2, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 13,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5730478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flannery_culp/pseuds/flannery_culp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Chad and Ryan start dating over the summer, it's surprisingly easy - at least when it's just the two of them.  But as people start to find out and other issues arise amongst the East High students, things start to get much harder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chad tightened his grip on the bat, not wanting to embarrass himself even further by missing the ball. As far away as Ryan was, he could swear he could see that stupid smile in his eyes. Ryan's thing was supposed to be drama, it wasn't fair that he was actually decent at baseball. It wasn't fair that he was taunting Chad about dancing. And it sure as hell wasn't fair that Ryan was getting to him like this. 

Back at school, Chad barely knew Ryan. He passed him in the hallways. He worked with him on a group project once or twice. He saw him in the Winter musical, which he had only gone to to support Troy, and had felt something that made him sick to his stomach, so he had avoided him for the rest of the school year. But the summer made things different. There was no school work, no basketball. Sure, he was an employee and Ryan was a guest, but when he wasn't on the clock, the lines were blurred. Ryan had slowly been working his way into their friend group, and now here he was, joining in on their staff baseball game. And Chad had to admit, Ryan was growing on him. He wasn't bad, once you got him away from his sister. And sure, the hats were a bit much, but those V necks...

Chad shook his head, and tried to focus on the ball. Not Ryan, waiting in the outfield, his casual stance not matching his eager hand, already up to catch the ball. Chad wasn't paying attention as the pitcher wound up his arm, and didn't notice the ball until it was right in front of him. His body worked before his brain did. He was aware on some level that the bat had struck the ball, and that he was running from one base to the next, but the whole time his eyes were on Ryan. Ryan, running for the ball. Ryan, catching it with that stupid, trademark dramatic flair. Ryan, running towards home base. Shit. Chad picked up speed, determined to beat him there.

Just as he slid into home base, Ryan collided with him, knocking both of them to the ground. Chad was hyper aware of every place that Ryan's body had touched his. He could still feel it, even as Ryan stood up and offered him a hand. 

"I believe that's a strike," Ryan said, pulling Chad up. His arm was scrawny, and Chad was doing most of the work, but he acted like he needed it. 

"It's an out," Chad said. 

"Yeah, I know," Ryan said. And then he winked. Actually winked. Did he need to be that cocky? "I just wanted to hear you correct me."

Ryan slowly took off his glove, put it under his arm, and then tossed the baseball at Chad, who fumbled trying to catch it. "Nice playing ball with you, Danforth," he said. He turned towards the crowd of people congratulating each other as they left the field, and began to follow them. 

"Wait!" Chad called. Ryan turned back, cocking his head to the side. Chad's heart was racing. "Look," he said, walking towards Ryan so that no one else would hear him. They were alone on the field now. If he was going to do it, now was the time. He took a deep breath. "I'm not saying I'm going to... dance," he said. "But if I did, what would you have me do?"

Ryan smiled, wide and goofy before reeling it in to the composed sly look he had been giving Chad all afternoon. "I thought you'd never ask."


	2. Chapter 2

"There you are," Gabriella said as Chad and Ryan sat down at the picnic table. "We were all pretty sure you two weren't going to come after how the game ended. But seeing as you switched hats, I'm assuming everything's okay?"

Chad swallowed, glad she hadn't commented on the shirts, but worrying it wouldn't be long before someone noticed. "Yeah, we worked it out," Ryan said. Chad elbowed him under the table, and Ryan had to avoid making eye contact with him in order not to smile. 

"So where were you guys?" Gabriella asked. 

"Just, you know... On the field," Chad said. 

But they hadn't been. They had snuck off to the dugout, thinking that it was safe since everyone else was headed to get food. Chad had only intended to make out with him, just to test the waters, but Ryan was just as eager in the dugout has he was on the field. It caught Chad off guard. He had expected Ryan to be shy, that cool exterior just an act that would fall away as soon as things got real. But as Ryan lifted Chad's shirt with ease and began to kiss his neck, he realized that Ryan was much more ready for this than he was. How long had Ryan been thinking about this? As long as Chad had? Longer?

Chad had never been with a guy, and everyone assumed he had gone much farther with girls than he actually had. His palms sweating, he pulled off Ryan's polo, knocking his hat to the ground as he did. 

"Told you I knew you could dance," Ryan said. "You just needed someone to dance with."

"I might need some lessons," Chad said. "I've never really... danced, before." He couldn't believe this. Not only was he about to hook up with Ryan Evans, he was using the word dance as a metaphor for sex. Who had he turned into?

"Then I guess it's lucky that I have," Ryan said. "I think I can teach you a few things." He went back to kissing Chad's neck, and Chad decided to just let it happen and he could have his existential crisis later.

There were footsteps above them, and muffled voices. "It's got to be around here somewhere," they could hear someone say. A cell phone started ringing on the bench next to the and the boys both jumped. "I hear it," the voice said, and the footsteps grew closer. Chad and Ryan panicked, grabbing their shirts and getting them on just before Jason walked into the dugout. 

"There it is," Jason said, grabbing his phone. "I found it!" he called up to whoever was with him. He looked at Chad and Ryan, who were absolutely certain they had been caught. "Hey, guys, what are you doing down here?"

"Just... Looking for my hat," Ryan said, picking it up off the ground and giving it a little wave. 

"Oh, cool," Jason said. "See you guys out there?"

"Yeah, we're right behind you," Ryan said. Jason smiled, and left the dugout. 

"Jesus Christ," Chad said, leaning back against the wall. "How do you keep your cool like that?"

"Acting pays off sometimes," Ryan said laughing. He looked at Chad. "That polo doesn't look half bad on you." Chad looked down, and sure enough, he had grabbed Ryan's shirt in the confusion. He looked over at Ryan, who was wearing his. "I think you need one last touch though," Ryan said. He took off Chad's baseball cap and put it on his own head, replacing it with his striped newsboy cap. "Perfect. What do you think? Do I pull off the jock look?"

He turned around, to give Chad the full view. "No, you don't," Chad said laughing. "But it works in a sort of ironic way."

"Shall we head up there then?" Ryan said. "We can't stay down here too long without them getting suspicious."

"About that," Chad said. He reached an arm up to take off his hat, realized it was Ryan's, and let it drop back down. "Can we... keep things quiet for a little while? Just until we figure out what this is. And until things stop being so weird between me and Troy. I don't want him to find out through somebody else and I... We're not on the greatest terms right now."

"Yeah," Ryan said. "Yeah, of course." There was a sudden change in him, the cocky vibe completely gone and replaced with a kind, understanding smile. "This is all new for you, huh?"

"Yeah," Chad said, swallowing. "Yeah, it is."

"It's cool," Ryan said. "My lips are sealed." He grabbed Chad's hand and pulled him out of the dugout, dropping it as soon as they hit the sunshine. "Now get a move on, before they ask what we were up to all this time."


	3. Chapter 3

"Gabriella," Ryan said, placing a hand on her knee. "These are, the best brownies, that I have had, in my entire life. I need to go tell your mom. Right now."

"No you don't," Gabriella said, pulling on his arm as he started to get up. "You, my friend, are very drunk, and are not going anywhere near my mother."

"I'm not drunk!" Ryan said, pressing his empty glass up against his flushed cheek. "I'm not, I just want to tell her."

"I'll pass on the compliment in the morning," Gabriella said. 

Ryan sighed dramatically, and leaned just slightly against Chad. He was the biggest lightweight Chad had ever seen, totally sloppy after just one drink. He knew Ryan drank--Troy and Gabriella had told him all about how hard the theater kids went at their cast party--but he was handling it like his first one.

"Anyone want more?" Kelsi asked. Chad handed her his cup. He hadn't planned on getting drunk tonight, but he hadn't planned on Ryan being here, and he hadn't planned on making out with Ryan earlier that day. Kelsi handed him the cup, and he took a big sip, the taste of cheap rum far stronger than the coke. Ryan handed her his glass, and Kelsi shook her head. 

"I'm cutting you off," she said.

"But I only had one drink!" Ryan said. 

"I know," Kelsi said. "And I've seen two drink Ryan, and nobody wants that." Despite being tiny, Kelsi could hold her liquor better than anyone in the group. She was also the one who could always procure something for them to drink. She was full of surprises, that one. 

"I never have, and I already know I don't want to," Taylor said. 

"Alright," Ryan said. "I suppose I will survive." He moved his hand, so that the tip of his pinky was touching Chad's. Chad had to give him credit, because despite how drunk he was, he was keeping things between the two of them nice and subtle. As far as he could tell, none of the girls had noticed anything between them. Chad noticed all of it though, and it was driving him crazy. He took another long sip of his drink. 

He had to figure out what was going on. It wasn't like he had never been attracted to Ryan. It wasn't like he had never thought about this before. But the transition between something he had never even spoken of to something that was actually real and happening was so quick that he hadn't really even had time to process it. There had been no time to get used to it, nothing that built up to the moment. 

Or had there been? How many times had he felt Ryan looking at him, and tried to ignore it? How many times had he caught himself looking at Ryan? Was this something that had been happening all summer, and he just hadn't noticed? That would explain why Ryan had been so sure of himself. That would explain a lot, actually.

Gabriella's phone buzzed, and she checked it. "Troy's not going to make it," she said quietly. "The guys from the team invited him to hang out."

"As I recall, you invited him to hang out too," Taylor said. 

"It's not a big deal," Gabriella said. "Getting into college is hard. If this will help him, he should do it."

"As the only one here who has not consumed any alcohol," Taylor said, "I guess I'll have to be the voice of reason. He made plans, he should keep them."

"He ditched plans for the baseball game too," Chad said. "Keeping plans doesn't seem to be a big deal to him these days."

They were all quiet for a moment, and Chad looked at his phone, wishing he could tell Troy about Ryan. But if Troy didn't even have time for Gabriella, he certainly wouldn't have time for him.

"Don't worry," Ryan said. "Troy's a good guy, he'll figure it out. College is stressful. But he really cares about all of you guys, and he's not going to let you go for a scholarship. I mean, he's the one who brought you all together in the first place, right? That's not going to change."

"Thank you, Ryan," Gabriella said. "That was very sweet. And, surprisingly coherent."

"Does that mean I can have another drink?" he asked. 

"No," the four of them said in unison. 

"Aww, come on," he said. It was directed at everyone, but he looked at Chad as he said it. The rum had made Chad able to relax, but it had also clouded his judgement, and he had to fight hard not to kiss him. 

"You're good, man," he managed to say. "I think you're good right where you are."


	4. Chapter 4

"Mr. Danforth," Mr. Fulton said as he walked into the kitchen, too loud and forceful for Chad's aching head. "Miss Evans left her bag of golf clubs and has asked that it be brought to her on the golf course before her lesson. You will find the bag by the back entrance to the building."

"I'm on it," Chad said. Mr. Fulton raised an eyebrow in disapproval. "Sorry, Mr. Fulton. I will bring Miss Evans her bag. Sir."

Mr. Fulton nodded in approval, and left the kitchen. Chad sighed, and made his way out to the back entrance, where an oversized pink bag was waiting for him. He picked it up, and started towards the golf course. He didn't see why Sharpay couldn't just drive over and get it, but after how hard Mr. Fulton had been on Gabriella, he wasn't about to fight over it.

But if Sharpay was having a golf lesson, that meant that he would have to see Troy, and that wasn't something he was looking forward to. He had texted him the night before, stupid and drunk and lonely after Taylor had dropped him off at home. Not drunk enough to excuse it though. It had been such a crazy day, and he wanted so badly to tell Troy all about it, but he was also mad. Especially about the way he was treating Gabriella. 

Until now, Troy and Gabriella had been inseparable. All he ever did was talk about her. He didn't brag, the way some of the other guys on the team did. He just seemed to honestly love her that much. It had made Chad mad, at first. Trying to break them up wasn't something he was proud of, and it wasn't something he could say he had done for entirely unselfish reasons. It wasn't that he had ever been into Troy, not really. Not any more than any kid figuring out his sexuality would be into someone as objectively hot as Troy Bolton. And for awhile, he had wondered if the same thing was going on for Troy.

There had been that one night, right before winter break. They were alone in the locker room, after playing a game of one on one - one of the many perks of being best friends with the coaches son. They had come out of the shower, and Troy had just stood there, looking at Chad, his towel slipping just a little bit lower than one would normally allow it to. Chad wasn't sure how long it had gone on, but it was too long to be an accident. And then it had just stopped. Troy walked to his locker, Chad walked to his, and it was like it had never happened. School ended, Troy met Gabriella, and the rest was history. And Chad was fine with that. Troy was his best friend, and he liked having him as his best friend. That was the way things were supposed to be.

But lately, it hadn't felt like Troy was his friend at all. I just wanted to say that I think you're making the wrong choice with how you're treating everyone, he had texted, after spending an hour in bed unable to sleep. We're your friends Troy. We're the people who have your back. And then, a few minutes later: I have something I really want to tell you about, it's kind of a big deal. And then, thinking better of it: Never mind, you wouldn't understand. Troy didn't answer any of them. And then, much later, when the alcohol had worn off and he had nothing to blame but exhaustion and anger: look I know we're not on the best terms but no one else knows and I have to tell someone and you're my best friend Troy so I don't know who else to tell. Something happened. With a guy. And I don't regret it. And I really want to tell you but not if you're going to be like this. I don't know what happened to you. 

Chad hated himself just for thinking about it. He had sent another text explaining how drunk he was this morning, but it seemed almost pointless. He had said what he said, and there was no going back. And there he was, standing on the golf course, wearing those stupid new Italian leather shoes. Sharpay was nowhere in sight. Nor was anyone else, for that matter. It was just Troy. Great. 

"I was supposed to drop these off for Sharpay," Chad said, dropping the bag on the ground. 

"Okay," Troy said. His arms were folded across his chest, and he didn't look pleased.

"Should I... Wait for her?" He asked. 

"I think they're fine right where they are," Troy said. 

"Alright then," Chad said. "I guess I'll head back."

"Alright," Troy said. Chad shook his head, and walked away. He had expected it to be awkward, but not quite like this. "Oh, Chad?" Troy said. Chad turned around. "After her lesson Sharpay is going golfing with her dad, so, keep your afternoon open. She'll need a caddy."

"Thanks," Chad said. "Glad you're still looking out for me, Bolton."

Unbelievable. Chad walked away fuming, deciding then and there that he and Troy were done forever. He was like a whole different person, and not a person that Chad wanted to be around. He took the long way back to the kitchen, not in the mood to wait on tables, or to see the rest of the team in the kitchen. In fact, he didn't want to see anyone. Except, maybe, one person.

A golf cart drove past, and then stopped a few feet in front of him. "Need a ride?" Ryan asked.

"I would love one," Chad said, smiling as he hopped in next to Ryan. "You're exactly the person I was hoping to see."

"Good," Ryan said, starting down the road. "Because I've been looking for you all over the country club."


	5. Chapter 5

"You're sure I won't get in trouble for this?" Chad asked. They were sitting under a tree on the outskirts of the country club, far away from where everyone was. Ryan had convinced Zeke to make him a picnic, saying that he would put in a good word with Sharpay if he did. They had just finished their baguette sandwiches, and were now starting in on a creme brulée.

"If Fulton asks, I'll just tell him you were with me," Ryan said.

"And what exactly will you tell him we were doing?" Chad asked.

Ryan shrugged. "I'll say I was giving you dance lessons."

Chad laughed. A few days ago, that would have been a completely ridiculous sentence, but at this point, people would probably believe it. God, who was he turning into?

"Have you talked to Troy?" Ryan asked.

Chad shook his head. "No. Well, I don't know. Not really."

"He was really weird with me earlier," Ryan said. "I just thought it might be a reaction to something you said."

"What did he do?" Chad asked.

"I was hanging out with Gabriella by the pool," Ryan said. "And I was just talking about how her mom makes great brownies and he snapped at me."

"Well, he does get very worked up about those brownies," Chad said.

"What exactly did you say to him?" Ryan asked.

Chad looked at Ryan. He was wearing a ridiculous red and white bathing suit, with a matching hat. Chad had no idea how he could dress like that and then sit there trying to have a deep and honest conversation. But somehow, he made it work. Chad was here, after all, looking into the bright blue eyes and longing after this ridiculous boy.

"You don't have to tell me," Ryan said. "If you're not comfortable. I totally understand."

"No, it's not that," Chad said. "I just... I'm not big on the whole feelings thing."

"You are such a stereotype," Ryan said.

"Excuse me?" Chad asked.

"You're such a jock," Ryan said. "You play sports, you don't talk about your feelings, you wear those t-shirts... I hardly even recognize you without you carrying that basketball around."

"Well you're one to talk," Chad said. Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You're a theater kid who wants to sit here and talk about our feelings when we could be making out right now."

"Clearly you have never been involved with theater if you think theater kids would rather talk about our feelings than make out," Ryan said. "We're big fans of both. That's all a cast party is, really: talking about your feelings and making out with everyone there."

A thought suddenly hit Chad. "Please tell me you have never made out with Troy."

"No, of course not," Ryan said laughing. "Troy's only got eyes for Gabriella. And he's very straight."

"Well, I don't know that I would say very," Chad said.

"Oh?" Ryan said. "Is there something I don't know about?"

"Let's not talk about Troy right now," Chad said. The last thing he needed on top of everything else going on with Troy was Ryan thinking he might have a chance with him and giving up on Chad completely. Not that Ryan would do that to Gabriella, but the thought alone was enough to make Chad nervous. Whatever this was, it felt so strange and fragile, and he wasn't going to do anything to put it in jeopardy. "Let's not talk at all," Chad said. He pushed his dishes to the side and leaned across the blanket, giving Ryan a gentle kiss on the lips. Ryan kissed back, eager, one hand on Chad's cheek and the other on his shoulder. He pulled Chad on top of him, and then suddenly stopped, holding Chad's face and looking straight into his eyes.

"What is it?" Chad asked.

"Nothing," Ryan said. "You taste like creme brulée."


	6. Chapter 6

"What the hell is Chad Danforth doing in our rehearsal room?"

Chad looked up at Sharpay, totally speechless. It had only been three days, and they were already caught. At least they were both fully clothed this time.

"I booked it," Ryan said. "I've been giving Chad dance lessons, you know that." Chad didn't understand how Ryan could be so good at this. He had done it before, he assumed. Even though Ryan had never hid his sexuality that wasn't exactly common for high school students in Albuquerque, so he must have done some sneaking around at some point.

"Oh yeah?" Sharpay said. She walked up close to them, so she could look Ryan in the eyes. "Because when I walked in here, you too were just sitting on the floor. It didn't look like you were dancing to me."

Ryan swallowed. For the first time, Chad saw a hint of fear. Sharpay could do that to anyone. "Well we were, you know... you can't really start the actual dancing until you understand the emotional aspects of it. Every dance lesson involves a theory portion."

"I've never had a dance lesson with a theory portion."

"Well, you've never had a dance lesson with me."

Sharpay looked at Chad. "There's no way you buy into this shit," Sharpay said.

"I'm... learning?" Chad said. He was pretty sure that if he gave the wrong answer Sharpay was literally going to eat him. "Learning dance is supposed to be helpful for sports. I heard that somewhere."

Sharpay squinted. "You two are up to something," she said. "And I'm onto you." Chad looked at Ryan, trying to figure out how to handle the situation. Ryan looked back with a nervous glance, but then gave a quick nod. Chad didn't know what was going to happen, but Ryan was ready to take the lead, and he trusted him.

"You're trying to come up with a plan to steal my star dazzle award," Sharpay said. "And I'm not going to let you get away with it." The boys both laughed in relief. "And whatever it is, it's over. Kelsi's going to be here any minute, and it's my turn with the room, so get out."

"Whatever you say," Ryan said. He threw his hands up and walked out of the room. Chad followed, trying to avoid making any visual or physical contact with Sharpay.

"Holy shit that was close," Chad said, once they were safely out in the hallway.

"You're so cute when you're nervous," Ryan said, stepping in front of him. He pressed Chad against the wall, and kissed him right underneath the ear.

"Ryan your sister's like ten feet away," Chad said.

Ryan sighed. "You're right," he said. "I just wish there was somewhere more private here."

"I know," Chad said. The two of them had tried to find time alone whenever they could, sneaking away on all of Chad's breaks. But everywhere that Chad could go without raising too many suspicions was incredibly public. Chad had thought about inviting him over to his house at some point, but his mom had a habit of walking into a room without knocking, and his dad would be incredibly suspicious of Chad hanging out with a guy like Ryan. "I actually better get back to work," Chad said. "Speaking of getting caught."

"I could always tell Fulton you got sick and had to go home," Ryan said.

"I need a car, Ry," Chad said. "I need the hours." That big stupid grin spread across Ryan's face and Chad couldn't help but smile back. "What's that all about?"

"You called me Ry," he said. "I like that."

"Oh shit," Chad said, rolling is eyes. "Did I actually just give you a nickname?"

Ryan bit his lip. "If you have to go to work, you better get going," he said. "If you stick around too much longer, I'm going to start kissing you again."

Chad looked down the hall. It was empty. "Maybe one quick kiss goodbye," he said.

Ryan grabbed his face, one hand on his cheek and the other in his hair, and just as Chad was wondering if he could pretend to fake illness after all, he heard a scuffing of shoes. He turned to see Kelsi, her sheet music in her hands and a shocked look on her face.

"I... I saw nothing!" she said, and ran straight into Sharpay's practice room.

Chad leaned back against the wall, and sunk down to the floor.

"Don't worry about it," Ryan said. "Kelsi won't tell anyone. She and I have a mutual agreement."


	7. Chapter 7

"There you are," Ryan said. "I was worried you were going to stand me up."

"I had some trouble finding the place," Chad said. They were up on the roof above the club's main building, and Chad had to go up several suspicious looking staircases to get here. He had been certain he was going to trip an alarm, but he hadn't. Ryan had spread out a blanket--the same one from the picnic, which seemed so long ago now--and was lying on his back, looking up at the night sky. He patted the spot next to him, and Chad layer down, reaching out to grab Ryan's hand without really thinking about it. 

It was strange, this relationship, or whatever it was. In some ways, it was going so slowly. Chad was surprised that even though they had spent every day together, they hadn't done much more than kiss. Chad wasn't nearly as experienced as everyone thought he was, but that was more a matter of circumstance than anything else. He and Taylor had hooked up on and off, but Taylor seemed about as into it as he was. He had hooked up with cheerleaders at parties after they won the game, but that usually involved being drunk and feeling like he had something to prove. For years now, he had wanted to be with a guy. And now that he was, they were hardly doing anything. 

But maybe that was because in every other way, things were moving so fast. He felt surprisingly comfortable around Ryan, in a way he had never felt comfortable before. Here they were, just looking up at the stars, and that felt like enough. It was like they had been doing this for years, and that scared him. He barely knew Ryan. There was still so much for them to learn about each other. And yet he already felt this strongly about him.

"You know what I like about the roof?" Ryan said after awhile.

"What?" Chad asked.

"It's quiet up here," he said. "I actually didn't know about it until my sister used it to spy on Troy and Gabriella. But ever since then, I come up here whenever I need to get away."

"Get away from what?" Chad asked. "The dining room? The sauna? The golf course?"

"From my sister, mostly," Ryan said. "She can be a little tiring."

"That's an understatement," Chad said. Ryan was quiet, and he wondered if he had said the wrong thing. "She doesn't appreciate you," he added. "She thinks she's so much better than you, but she's not. You're really talented."

"You think so?" Ryan asked. 

"I do," Chad said. He took a deep breath. "I've actually kind of had a thing for you since I saw you in the show."

"No way," Ryan said. "I don't believe it."

"It's true," Chad said.

"No, I mean I don't believe that you're openly talking about your feelings."

"Shit," Chad said. "I am, huh?" He turned on his side so he could look at Ryan, who was already looking at him. "I guess you're rubbing off on me with all of that emotional nonsense."

"You want to know how long I've been into you?" Ryan asked.

"Not if its going to make me seem like a loser for liking you longer," Chad said. Jesus. Who was he? He never talked like this with girls, not even with Taylor, who was the closest thing to a girlfriend he had ever had. 

"When you came to opening night of the show," Ryan said, gently stroking Chad's palm with his fingers, "you were sitting in the front row, so I could catch glimpses of your face every once in a while, depending on the lighting. And I knew you were there for Troy, and I had never even thought about you like that before--I mean I was also pretty sure you were straight--but then during my song, I happened to look down at your face, and then... Something just clicked. I've been trying to figure you out ever since."

"You're kidding," Chad said.

"I'm not," Ryan said, laughing. "I'm dead serious."

"That's like, movie level corny," Chad said. 

"But it's true!" Ryan said.

Chad let go of Ryan's hand so that he could trace the outline of his face. "You're ridiculous," he said. He had hoped it would come off as aloof, but instead it sounded tender as it hung in the night air. 

"I know," Ryan said. His phone started ringing, a loud upbeat song. "Just ignore it," he said.

"It's kind of hard to ignore," Chad said. "You might have to do something to distract me."

"I think I could handle that," Ryan said. He rolled over so that he was on top of Chad, his lips against Chad's before he had even had a chance to breath. The ringing stopped. Ryan's tongue made its way into Chad's mouth. It started ringing again. He was biting Ryan's lip. It stopped. Ryan was sucking on his neck. He was definitely going to have a hickey tomorrow. He wanted to give Ryan one too, just to get back at him, but then people might make the connection. The phone started ringing again.

"I guess I better check that," Ryan said. He rolled over, out of breath, and looked at his phone. "It's Gabriella," he said, and picked it up. "Hello?"

Chad couldn't tell exactly what was going on, but it sounded like she was crying. Ryan looked worried. "Gabriella I'm so sorry," he said. "Can you... Can you just hold on one second?" He held the phone to his chest so she couldn't hear. "She just broke up with Troy."

"You're kidding," Chad said.

"She's really broken up about it," he said. "Taylor wasn't picking up and she doesn't want to be alone right now, I don't know what to do."

"Ask her if I can come too," Chad said.

Ryan looked at him, surprised. "Are you sure?" Chad nodded. "Because you know that if we both go over there she's going to find out that--"

"I'm sure," Chad said. He wasn't, but it was the right thing to do. 

"Alright then," Ryan said. He put the phone back up to his ear. "Yeah, I'll be over in like, fifteen minutes, okay? Is it... I'm with Chad right now, is it okay if he comes too? Okay, cool, we'll be right there. Bye." He hung up, and looked at Chad. "Okay," he said. "Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

"I just can't believe it," Gabriella said. She was sitting on the hammock in her backyard, in between Chad and Ryan, swaying gently in the breeze. She had been saying that over and over again for almost half an hour now, clutching the spot on her chest where her necklace used to be. "I thought he was the one."

"He'll come back to his senses," Ryan said. "He just needs time. And he needs to get away from my sister."

"Has he said anything to you?" Gabriella asked. It took Chad a minute to realize that she was asking him.

"No, not tonight," Chad said. "Not in a few days, actually. We haven't been... On the best terms, recently."

"Oh my God I'm so sorry," Gabriella said. "I can't believe I'm complaining to you when you're going through the same thing."

"Gabriella that's ridiculous," Chad said. "You're his girlfriend."

"And your his best friend," Gabriella said. "You've known him forever and now all of a sudden he traded you in for other people."

"Yeah, well," Chad said. "It's a lot more complicated than that."

Gabriella looked at him. He dragged his feet in the dirt, his sneakers moving back and forth with the hammock to create two parallel lines. She looked back at Ryan, who bit his lip.

"I don't want to make any assumptions," she said, carefully. "And I certainly don't want to make you two talk about something that you don't want to talk about. But, if what I think is happening is happening, I just want to let you know that I approve."

Ryan looked at Chad, checking in before he answered. "It's happening," Chad said.

"I knew it!" Gabriella said, and for a moment all three of them were smiling, the hammock swinging back and forth wildly after Gabriella pushed off too hard in the excitement. "Since the baseball game, yeah?"

"You got us," Ryan said. "Don't tell anyone though, okay? We've already messed enough with the status quo."

"Of course, of course," Gabriella said, and it suddenly hit Chad that he was coming out to someone for the first time. Well, second time, if you counted Ryan. And then there was Kelsi, but that wasn't on purpose, so... Shit.

"Does anyone else know?" Chad asked.

"I don't think so," Gabriella said. "I didn't say anything, and no one talked to me about it."

"Good," Chad said. He tried to lean back, and almost knocked the hammock over.

"You're the only one other than Kelsi," Ryan said. "She might have walked in on us making out."

"Well I'm honored to be the first person you told," Gabriella said. "And I'm happy for you. Both of you." She looked up at the sky. "Troy would be too," she said. 

"I'm really sorry, Gabriella," Chad said.

"Me too," she said. She took a deep breath. "It's late, I don't want to keep you guys."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Ryan asked. Gabriella nodded. "Okay," he said. Carefully he stood up from the hammock, and then offered Chad a hand. Chad took it. Maybe Ryan's arms weren't as scrawny as he had always assumed they were. "Just text me if you need me, okay?" Ryan said. "And I'll see you tomorrow at Lava Springs."

"I quit, actually," Gabriella said. "I just... I need some space. But you're both welcome to come over here any time. My mom will make brownies."

"Alright," Ryan said, nodding. Gabriella gave him a hug, and then moved on to Chad. She had never hugged him before. They had been friends since the winter, but always through Troy. It was nice, Chad thought, that they didn't need him to hang out. It was too bad that the reason was because Troy was being such an ass.

"It'll be okay," he told her.

"I know," Gabriella said. "Thank you."

He and Ryan were quiet on the way back to the car. "My parents aren't going to be home tonight," Ryan said. "If you wanted to come over. No pressure."

"What about your sister?" Chad said.

"By this time of night she'll be locked in her room with a bottle of Chardonnay, unaware that anything is happening in the world if she's not there for it," Ryan said. "She won't wake up until noon, so as long as we leave before then, she'll never even know we were there."

Ryan had casually opened up a window onto Sharpay's life that Chad did not want to look through, and he wondered how many skeletons the Evans family had in their closet. He tried not to think about it.

"Yeah," he said. "That would be nice. Thank you."

Ryan smiled as he pulled away from Gabriella's house. "I'm pretty sure I should be the one thanking you."

Chad pulled out his phone and shot his mom a quick text: still at Troy's, just going to stay here for the night.

His phone buzzed, and he was surprised that his technologically challenged mother had replied so quickly. But it wasn't from her. It was from Troy.

"Everything okay?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah," Chad said, closing his phone without looking at the message. "Everything's fine."


	9. Chapter 9

"Wow," Chad said as he walked into Ryan's room.

"It's a little much, I know," Ryan said. 

"A little?" Chad said. It was a lot much. First of all, it was huge. Twice as big as Chad's room, at least. The walls were covered in posters from Broadway shows, most of them signed. The closet door was open, and Chad could see a massive display of hats. The floor was entirely polished hardwood. It must have been for dance practice, because there was a large, full length mirror next to the door. Chad prayed that he wouldn't be able to see it from the bed.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Ryan said. "I got a little carried away with the decorating. We've got guest rooms, if you'd rather."

"No," Chad said, walking further into the room. "No, we should stay. This room suits you."

"It does," Ryan said. "It's my refuge, sometimes. It feels, I don't know... Very comforting." He looked at Chad, who looked incredibly uncomfortable. "Right, I forgot, no feelings. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Chad said. He shuffled around the room, unsure of whether or not he should sit down on the bed. "I don't want to talk about my feelings but if you want to talk about yours, you should. I'm not... I'm not great at the whole, like, being there for people thing. But I'll try."

Ryan smiled. "We'll get there," he said. "It's been, what, like a week? We don't have to get too emotional yet."

Chad sighed in relief. "Good," he said.

They stood a few feet apart, both of them waiting for the other to make the first move. Chad's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he tried not to think about it. If Troy had shut him out of his life, he didn't get to decide to bring him back in when it was convenient for him. Chad was living his life now, and Troy didn't need to be a part of it.

"It's a big bed," Chad said. It was awkward, and stupid, but at least it would get the ball rolling.

"It is," Ryan said, closing the distance between them. "It'll be nice to have someone to share it with." He took Chad's head in his hands and kissed him, slow and gentle. It felt different than it had before, not rushed or hasty, no frantic fear of getting caught. It was just the two of them. No distractions, no interruptions. They had all the time in the world, and so Ryan took his time. His kisses lingered, his touch was light.

"Aren't you going to put on some mood music?" Chad asked, between kisses. "Like the soundtrack to Phantom of the Opera or something?"

"Phantom is not mood music," Ryan said. "Nothing by Andrew Lloyd Webber is. He's a total boner-killer." He unbuttoned Chad's shirt, giving time and attention to every single button. "However, if you want to listen to my musical theater getting it on playlist..."

"I think I'm good," Chad said. He let his shirt fall to the floor, and started working on Ryan's. "As long as Sharpay can't hear us."

"Not a chance," Ryan said. "Given how much we both sing the walls are heavily insulated."

"Good to know," Chad said. The last of the buttons undone, he pushed Ryan's shirt open, resting his hands on his bare chest. All that dance must have done something, because Ryan's abs were surprisingly hard. 

"Not what you expected?" Ryan asked.

"Not at all," Chad said.

"Don't worry," Ryan said. "Your arms are definitely nicer than mine." He ran his hands along Chad's biceps. He kissed him again, but this time his whole body was pressed against him. Ryan's bare chest on his. Ryan's hands, working their way down to his belt. He stepped out of his shoes so that he could step out of his jeans, and all the while Ryan still kissing him.

Ryan turned him around, slowly walking him towards the bed, managing to take off his pants and still kiss him all at the same time. Chad fell back against the bed, and Ryan's kisses moved down his neck, to his chest. It suddenly hit him that this was real. This was happening. This wasn't a sloppy drunk hook up with a girl he felt nothing for. For the first time, this was something he wanted. And that terrified him.

"Wait," he said. His heart was racing, and he felt like he could hardly breathe.

Ryan looked up, still straddling him. "I'm sorry," he said. "Too fast?"

"No," Chad said. "Well, yes, kind of. I mean..." While he tried to find the words, Ryan got off of him, taking a seat next to him on the bed. "It's not the sex thing, it's just... The gay thing," Chad said. Everything was coming out wrong. "I mean not that you're gay, that I'm gay. I'm not... I'm still working on that. On accepting that. I've never been with a guy before and it just got really real there."

As Chad blabbered on, Ryan just looked into his eyes. There was something about that look. He wasn't just listening, he was taking it all in, and he was really getting it.

"That's okay," Ryan said, once Chad had finished embarrassing himself. "That's fine."

"I'm sorry," Chad said.

"Don't be," Ryan said. "It takes time. That's totally okay." Chad nodded, not sure what else to say. "What do you want to do? Do you want me to bring you home?"

Chad shook his head. "I want to be with you," he said. "I really do, I just... Can I just stay here for awhile? And see how things go?"

"Yeah," Ryan said. He took Chad's hand and layer down next to him, his legs hanging off the edge of the bed. "Yeah, of course you can."


	10. Chapter 10

Chad woke up in Ryan's bed, with Ryan no where to be found. He reached for his phone on the bedside table, realized it was still in the back pocket of jeans, and crawled out of bed to find it. They were still on the floor, right by the foot of the bed. He shook his head, ashamed as he remembered the events of the night before. It wasn't the kind of shame he usually felt after sleeping with a girl, it was the shame of not having slept with a guy. After Chad's freakout, they had just spent the rest of the night kissing and cuddling. Chad hadn't even been the big spoon for most of it. Who the hell was he turning into?

He checked his phone. It was seven fifteen, plenty of time before he had to be at work. There were two more texts from Troy that he had missed. He took a breath, and opened them.

_I know things haven't been great between us but I don't know who else to talk to right now._

_Chad please text me back._

_Gabriella just broke up with me._

_Fine, fuck it, nvm._

The last one had come in around four in the morning, long after Chad had fallen asleep.  He wanted to feel bad for Troy, he really did.  But Troy had brought this on himself.  And nowhere in there was there an "I'm sorry," or "I fucked up", or "I know I wasn't even the slightest bit interested in your romantic life and so maybe texting you when my relationship suddenly goes to shit isn't very sensitive but I really regret my choices and I need you right now because you're my best friend."  Troy wanted nothing to do with Chad until he was useful in some way, and Chad didn't want to be someone's back up.

"Oh, you're awake," Ryan said, opening the door and closing it quickly behind him.  "I brought you some coffee, I wasn't sure how you take it."

"Thanks," Chad said, taking the mug.  "Black's fine."  He usually poured in at least four spoons of sugar, but he didn't want to be inconvenient.  He took a sip.  Shit, it was good.  Like, didn't even need sugar good.  Was rich people coffee something entirely different than regular people coffee?

"So, I've got some bad news," Ryan said, sitting on the edge of the bed.  He was already fully dressed, wearing a sweater vest over a collared shirt and a straw hit with a light blue band around it.  Chad wanted the hat, and he hated himself for it.  "I was in the kitchen, planning on making us some breakfast, and... Sharpay is awake."

"What?" Chad asked.  "I thought you said she would be asleep until noon."

"She usually is," Ryan said.  "But for some reason, instead of sleeping off her hangover, she's sitting in the kitchen drinking a bloody mary and complaining about it."

"Shit," Chad said, leaning back and hitting his head against the wall.  He winced, and took another sip of his coffee.

"You okay?" Ryan asked, with genuine concern.

"I'm fine," Chad said.  First Troy, and now this.  "I'm fine," he said again, trying to convince himself. "I just... how do I get out of here without her noticing?"

"Well, we've got a few options," Ryan said.  "The first is the riskiest - we just walk out the front door and hope she doesn't notice.  Then there's option two, which involves me distracting her, you running to my car, and me getting there as soon as I can."

"Well that doesn't sound too bad," Chad said.

"It wouldn't be," Ryan said.  "Except that the kitchen, where she is, overlooks the driveway.  She would have a full view of my car."  Chad put his head in his hands, nearly spilling his coffee all over the bed.  "There's one more option," Ryan said.

"Yeah?"

"You sneak out the window and walk down to the corner, in the opposite direction from where the kitchen is," Ryan said.  "Then I would drive down and meet you there."

Chad laughed.  It sounded like such a tryst, with him sneaking out the window, but it seemed like the best choice. "I guess we're going with that then," Chad said.

"You've got plenty of time, so finish your coffee and don't worry about it," Ryan said. "There's a chance she'll go back to bed before we have to leave."

"Don't worry about it," Chad said.  "I'm the one who wants to keep this secret, so if that means climbing out of a few windows, so be it."

Ryan smiled, and ran a hand up and down Chad's calf. "I'm sorry about breakfast," Ryan said.  "I was going to make something nice for you.  I still would, but I think Shar would get suspicious if I brought a bunch of fancy food back here."

"It's fine," Chad said.  "You don't have to keep trying to impress me.  Don't worry about it, seriously."

Ryan looked at him, and Chad felt his throat close up.  It was that same look that he had given him before, the one that made him feel like Ryan could figure out everything he wasn't saying.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Ryan asked.

"It will be," Chad said.  "As soon as I've finished this coffee."


	11. Chapter 11

"Okay everyone, that's a wrap on rehearsal," Ryan said. The crowd dispersed, everyone grabbing their water bottles. "I just want to thank you all for sticking around. I know morale is a little low with Gabriella gone, but this is still going to be a great number, okay? I think you guys really have a chance at the star dazzle award."

Everyone thanked him, and made their way back to their various jobs. "Hey, Chad, can we just go over that jazz square real quick?" Ryan asked.

Chad looked at the group heading out. None of them were waiting for him. None of them would even notice he was gone. "Yeah, sure thing," Chad said. 

Ryan took his hat off, ruffled his hair, and then put it back on again. He had changed into a t-shirt for dancing, with a v neck low enough that it was totally distracting, but he still had the hat on. The only person left in the room was Kelsi, who was still packing up her things, but she got them together as quickly as she could and left without making eye contact.

"We've got to get Gabriella back for this," Ryan said. "I don't think we can do it without her."

"Oh," Chad said. He had expected a kiss, and tried not to show his disappointment. "Yeah, you're right."

"And I think if we're going to convince her to do it," Ryan said, "we need Taylor. And, not that I'm going to divulge any details, but I just... Wanted to check in with you, before I asked her."

"Oh," Chad said. "Yeah that's totally fine, she and I are chill."

"Really?" Ryan asked. "I mean you guys seemed cool the other night, but, you were dating, weren't you? Like, not that long ago?"

Chad shrugged. They had only dated in the sense that everyone else was convinced they were dating when Chad brought her to the party after the big game. They had gone to a few things together after that, but when it came to actual dates, Taylor seemed about as interested as Chad. They never made it official, and they never broke up. Things just sort of petered out. For all her talk about relationships, Taylor didn't apply any of it to her own life. Not with him, at least. Chad had always wondered what was going on there, but he didn't want to make assumptions, and he was relieved that she didn't want to push things, so he just let it be.

"It was never serious between us," Chad said. "Not on my end or hers. There's nothing awkward between us, we actually work pretty well together. We should bring her in on this."

"Okay, good," Ryan said. "I just wanted to be sure. I'll talk to her later, maybe we can all go to Gabriella's again."

"You know," Chad said. "If we're going to go to Gabriella's again, and Gabriella knows about us, and Kelsi knows about us..."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked.

"I just think it might be nice to hang out around people without having to hide this," Chad said. "You know, like, testing the waters or whatever."

"And you think your ex girlfriend is the best person to do that with?" Ryan asked.

"She was never even my girlfriend," Chad said. "I really think she'll be fine with it. Just... Give me twenty four hours, okay? Make plans with Gabriella for tomorrow night. Go ahead and talk to Taylor about getting her to do the show, and I'll talk to her about us."

"Okay," Ryan said. He was grinning like an idiot. And that v neck...

"Okay," Chad said.

"How much time before you have to go back to work?"

Chad checked his watch. "I'm already late."

"Damn it," Ryan said. "The studio isn't booked again for another hour."

Chad reminded himself that he needed this job. Really, really needed it. He shook his head. "I better run," he said. "We'll catch up later." He gave Ryan a quick kiss, and made his way back to the kitchen.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey, Taylor, can I talk to you?" Chad's palms were sweating. He had asked for twenty four hours and had taken all of it, and he still didn't feel ready.

Taylor looked at her schedule. "I've got exactly eight minutes before I have to head over to the ballroom," she said. "Is that enough?"

"Um, yeah, it should be," Chad said.

"Then shoot," Taylor said.

Chad looked around at the kitchen, bustling with activity. "Not here," he said, and pulled her into the giant pantry, closing the door behind them.

"Is this really necessary?" Taylor asked.

"Yes, it is," Chad said. "This is top secret shit."

"Oh, is this about trying to get Gabriella to come back for the number?" Taylor asked.

"Yes, good, Ryan talked to you," Chad said. He tried to remember the speech he had prepared last night, but the introduction had gotten messed up, and now he didn't know where to jump in.

"Yeah," Taylor said. "Although I have to admit, I can't believe the basketball boy is in on this."

"See, that's what I want to talk to you about," Chad said. "I... Okay, look. This is about feelings, and you know how I am with feelings, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it."

"Okay... So say it."

"Ryan and I are together." He blurted it out before he could dwell on it too much longer and change his mind. "We've been seeing each other for like two weeks totally in secret and the only people who know are Kelsi and Gabriella and were not ready to make it public yet but I wanted to tell you because, well, I don't know. I just thought you should know."

He gritted his teeth as he waited for her to respond. She was just standing there, looking at him like he was a problem she was trying to figure out. "That... Makes a lot of sense," Taylor said. "That explains... a lot, actually."

"So you're cool with it?" Chad asked. "It's not going to make things weird?"

"Chad," Taylor said, almost laughing. "I know everyone else thinks you're straight, but they never tried to have sex with you."

"Okay," Chad said, "you don't have to say tried to, we did have sex."

"Did we?" Taylor asked, making a wishy-washy movement with her hands.

"Yeah, we did," Chad said. "Once. But we did."

"I'm just giving you a hard time," Taylor said. "All I'm saying is, it was clear that you were not into my body. So I can't say this is exactly a surprise."

Chad looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry about that," he said. "I should have just told you. I just..."

"You're a jock in a world full of toxic masculinity and couldn't bear the thought that you might be a homosexual," Taylor said. "It's cool, I get it."

"Okay," Chad said. "Good. Thank you. That was a good talk."

"I'm going to go on a limb and assume you never want to talk about this again?" Taylor asked.

"That would be great," Chad said.

"Well I've got to head over to the ballroom," Taylor said. "Would you like to join me in leaving the pantry?"

"No, that's cool," Chad said. "I think I'm just going to stay here for awhile and pull myself together."

"Alright," Taylor said. "See you tonight then."

She slipped out of the pantry, closing the door behind her. Chad sank down to the floor, and tried to remind himself to breathe. He had done it. It had gone fine. The world was not falling down around him.

Everything was going to be okay.


	13. Chapter 13

This was good, Chad thought, sitting next to Ryan and holding his hand while Kelsi told a story. This was normal. This was what couples did. But as Ryan rested his head on Chad's chest, Chad couldn't help but feel nervous. No one here cared. No one was even acting like there was anything unusual. But this was new territory, and it scared the shit out of him.

He reached for his cup, realized it was empty, and used his free hand to fill it again.

"You're supposed to be measuring," Taylor said, handing him a shot glass. He shrugged, and took a sip. It was straight vodka, cheap stuff, and it burned the back of his throat. "If you throw up in my car you're cleaning it yourself and then walking home." He shrugged, and took another large gulp. She shook her head, and turned back to the conversation.

Chad was vaguely aware that the topic of the talent show had been brought up at some point, but he was not aware of what conclusion they had reached. He wasn't aware of much, other than exactly where Ryan's body was touching his. He had started drinking immediately hoping that it would help him relax, and quickly surpassed everyone else in terms of alcohol consumption. Kelsi always held her own, Gabriella was nursing a glass of wine, and Ryan had wanted to keep his wits about him for the discussion. Chad had never relaxed, he had just gotten flushed and stupid, so he kept drinking, trying to at least make himself numb. It hadn't worked.

"What do you think?" Ryan asked, tilting his head so that he could look Chad in the eyes.

"About what?" Chad asked, wondering how long he had zoned out for.

"About Mr. Fulton," Ryan said. "Gay or straight?"

He looked so sweet there, completely unaware of how out of it Chad was. "I... I don't know," Chad said. "I've never thought about it. I... I have no idea."

"It's so cute how you can't tell these things," Ryan said. He kissed Chad on his jawline, and Chad tried not to cringe.

"I still maintain that's he's bisexual," Taylor said. 

"Agree to disagree," Ryan said. He put his hand on Chad's chest, and it rose and fell with Chad's breathing.

"I... I'll be right back," Chad said, throwing Ryan's hand off of him with much more force than he should have, and closing the door a little too loudly as he left the room. He shut himself into the bathroom down the hall and sat on the cold tile floor, his head in his hands. He could feel his heart beating in every part of his body, and he couldn't tell if he was crying or just felt like he was.

There was a knock on the door, and he didn't answer. The last thing he needed on top of everything was for Ryan to see this. There was another knock, and then a soft voice. "Chad? I just want to make sure you're okay."

He reached up and tuned the doorknob. Gabriella made her way in, closing the door behind her and sitting across from him on the floor, her back against the tub. For awhile they just sat there, looking at each other in an easy silence. "Is everything alright?" she finally asked. Chad shook his head. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Chad swallowed. "Yeah," he said. "I don't know if I can though."

"That's okay," Gabriella said. "Whenever you're ready."

The room felt unsteady. Chad couldn't sort his thoughts out into coherent phrases. He hated talking about his feelings. He hated having them. It was the stupid alcohol.

"It's harder around people," he finally said. "It's easy when it's a secret from everyone, but it's a lot harder when we're with other people."

Gabriella nodded. "That's okay," she said. "It's just going to take time to get used to it. And you don't have to tell anyone you don't want to. But you shouldn't feel like you have to keep it a secret either." She paused, and looked at the floor. "I'm sorry," she said. "My wine advice is not my best advice."

"I miss Troy," Chad said. It came out before he had mulled it over, but now that he had said it, he was blubbering over it like the drunk idiot he was. "I miss him so much, Gabriella. I feel like there's this huge important piece of my life that he doesn't know anything about and I hate it. I hate that I've told Taylor and I haven't told him. I hate that we haven't talked in so long. I hate that I don't even know what he would think about this and that I haven't been able to be myself around him and I hate..." The words ran out, so he just looked at her.

"I miss him too," she said, placing a hand on his knee. "But he would be happy for you. And he will be happy for you, once everything gets sorted out." Chad nodded, trying to believe her. "I'm going to head back in," she said, standing up. "Take all the time you need, okay?" Chad nodded, and she opened the door.

"Gabriella?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

She smiled. "Of course, Chad." She left, closing the door behind her.

Chad stood himself up, and looked in the mirror. He looked like hell. He washed his face with cold water, during it off with a towel that was probably supposed to be decorative. He knew he wasn't sober, but he felt like he was. He gave himself a once over, making sure there were no signs of his breakdown, and then made his way back to Gabriella's room. The conversation was once again in full swing, and he sat down next to Ryan, taking his hand and hoping it seemed casual.

"You okay?" Ryan asked quietly.

"Yeah," Chad said, giving Ryan's hand a squeeze and laying his head on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine."

It was almost true.


	14. Chapter 14

Chad walked into the kitchen and punched in. His head was pounding, and he was embarrassed about last night, but despite all of that, he felt better about the whole situation. After he went back, the night had turned around. They had taken turns telling Gabriella East High legends from before she had she started there, and laughing over their fourteen-year-old selves. He wasn't sure what did it, exactly, if it was letting himself have that breakdown or if it was just the alcohol finally doing its job, but as the night went on, he felt more and more comfortable. He enjoyed himself, even, towards the end of it.

"Hey Kelsi," he said, taking a seat across from her.

"Hey," she said. She looked worse for wear then he did, and he wondered if she had kept drinking after Taylor had dropped her off.

"Rough night?" He asked.

"You haven't heard, have you?" she said. He shook his head, and she passed him a piece of paper. It was a formal, Lava Springs employee memo. "They want us all to work the night of the talent show," she said. "Which means they're not going to let us do our number."

"You're kidding," Chad said, reading over the memo. "They can't do that."

"They can," Kelsi said. "And they did."

"Have you talked to Ryan?"

"I haven't seen him," Kelsi said. "But I don't think he can do anything about it."

Chad got up, passing her back the memo. "If anyone can do something about it, it's him," he said. "Can you cover for me if Mr. Fulton shows up?" She nodded. "Thanks."

He left the kitchen, and ran to the parking lot, hoping he could catch Ryan as he came in. He didn't see Ryan's car, but Sharpay pulled into the lot just as he got there.

"Shouldn't you be in the kitchen, Chad?" she said, slamming her car door behind her. She was wearing huge dark sunglasses, and she looked like her hangover was about as bad as his was.

"Is your brother here yet?" he asked, hoping it would sound casual.

She stopped in front of him. "Why do you need to know?"

Chad tried to figure out the best approach. Sharpay had to be the reason behind the memo, but he wasn't sure if it was better to confront her about it or just play dumb. But if he played dumb, what other reason could he give her? "Look," he said. "I know you think you've got us out of the talent show, but your brother's on our side. So I'd like to talk to him."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," Sharpay said. He couldn't see her eyes through the glasses but he could feel her staring him down. "But if I did, I would recommend you think about the fact that no matter how close you think you and my brother have gotten, he's still my brother, and he will be on my side."

"Are you sure about that?" Chad asked. "Because last I checked, I was the one he's been spending his time with. Not you."

"I don't know what you're up to Chad," Sharpay said, "but I know you're not really friends with Ryan. There's something you're trying to get from him and as soon as he finds out, he's going to come running back to me." Chad watched as Ryan pulled into the lot, parking his car right next to Sharpay's. "You can have him for now," she said. "But whatever you think your going to accomplish with this? Forget about it." She sauntered off just as Ryan walked up, pretending she hadn't noticed he was there.

"What was that all about?" Ryan asked.

"Your sister thinks I'm somehow trying to get something from you," Chad said. "And as soon as you realize that you're going to stop being friends with me and go back to her."

"That is hilarious on so many different levels," Ryan said. "So what's up?"

For a moment, Chad had forgotten about everything. "The talent show," he said. "They're not letting us do the employee number in the talent show."

"What?" Ryan asked. His face fell into an expression Chad had never seen before. His mouth fell open slightly, and his brow furrowed. His eyes, usually so intense and focused, became glassy and far away. When he spoke again, his voice sounded so small. "What do you mean?"

"I think Sharpay convinced Fulton to do it," Chad said. "So that she can get the award."

"Shit," Ryan said, rubbing his temples.

"But you can do something, right?" Chad said. "If she got him to do it can't you get him to undo it?"

"I don't know," Ryan said. "She's... I mean she's Sharpay. She gets away with everything, she always has. She has way more sway over them than I do."

It was terrible, seeing him this disappointed. "We'll figure something out," Chad said, putting a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "We'll go behind his back, if we have to. We'll storm the stage. We'll make it work."

Ryan smiled. It didn't reach his eyes, but it was something. "I can't believe I turned you into a dancer," he said.

"Shut up," Chad said. "I'm doing this for you and the Wildcats, not the concept of dance itself."

"Whatever you say," Ryan said. He bit his lip. "I wish we were somewhere that I could kiss you right now."

"Later," Chad said. "We've got work to do."


	15. Chapter 15

"Chad? Chad? Where's Chad?" Ryan asked, running into the kitchen.

"Over here," Chad said, poking his head out from behind the the washing machine. Ryan was completely out of breath. Kelsi was right behind him, and she looked like he had dragged her all the way here. "What is it?"

"You will never believe what just happened," Ryan said. He was smiling uncontrollably.

"You convinced Fulton to let us do the number?"

"No, better," Ryan said. "Kelsi you tell him."

"Troy asked Fulton for his kitchen job back," she said. "He canceled on Sharpay, he's not doing the number with her, he wants to just spend the night working with everyone else."

"You're kidding," Chad said.

"It's the real deal," Kelsi said.

"Oh my God, this is... Wait, what about our number?"

"Oh, I've got it all figured out," Ryan said. "I've already called Gabriella, and as soon as we can track him down Kelsi's going to teach Troy the new song."

"It's all worked out," Kelsi said. "And it's all a surprise. He won't have any idea what's happening."

"Shit, man, this is the best news I've heard in weeks," Chad said. He had felt sick the whole day, trying to work something out while covering enough tables in the dining room so that he wouldn't get caught. He couldn't believe it. They were actually going to pull this off. And Troy. Troy had quit. Troy had chosen all of them.

"I know," Ryan said.

"Can I tell them?" Chad asked. "Like it's all official and everything?"

"Go for it," Ryan said. "They'll need to get ready."

"Wait, no, Kelsi should tell them," Chad said.

"Me?" Kelsi asked.

"Yeah, you," Chad said. "You're the one with the news. You're still the game maker." Chad grabbed a ladle that was hanging from a rack, and started banging a pot until everyone was looking. "Listen up!" he shouted. "Kelsi has an important announcement."

The crowd hushed, and everyone turned to her. "Troy's back," she said. "He quit on Sharpay, he quit the fancy job. He's back with us."

"Which means we've got a lot of work to do before the talent show tonight," Ryan said, cutting everyone off before they could say anything. "Our number is on, whether it's in the program or not, and Troy is going to be a part of it. Gabriella's back in too, but Troy doesn't know about any of it, so don't say a word. Just practice your choreography and be ready to go on when he does. Any questions?" The crowd was quiet. "Good. Then, I guess just... act like everything's normal? And I'll see you all tonight."

The crowd dispersed. Everyone went back to work, but the mood in the kitchen had completely changed, everyone talking nonstop about Troy and the show, and asking each other questions about the choreography.

"This is incredible," Chad said.

"I know," Ryan said. "Look, I've got to run, I told Gabriella I would go over everything with her before the show. But I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Chad said. "Sounds good."

Ryan grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze, a substitute for a kiss. "Work on those turns while I'm gone," he called as he left. "We don't want you falling off the stage."

Chad smiled, grabbing two glasses to bring to table eight.

This was actually going to happen.


	16. Chapter 16

"Okay, the show should be starting any minute," Ryan said. "Are we all ready? Everyone feeling good about this? You're going to do great, everything's going to be--"

The door opened, and the room fell silent as Troy walked in. "Hey," he said. He had his hands in his pockets, the way he always did when he was nervous. "I just wanted to come in and tell you all that--"

"We know," Chad said. "Kelsi told us what went down between you and Sharpay."

"Yeah, well," Troy said. He walked closer to Chad. "I'm more interested in what went down between you and me. I was a jerk."

"Yeah, you were," Chad said. As excited as he was for tonight, and as happy as he was that Troy was back, he couldn't just let him off the hook.

Troy nodded, and reached one hand behind his head. "I was," he said. "And I'm really sorry."

"But hey," Chad said. "Sometimes brothers fight. And they're still brothers."

"So we're good?" Troy asked.

"Yeah man," Chad said. "Of course we're good." Troy hugged him, that stupid bro hug that he always went for, with a hard clap on the back. It was stupid, but it was all Troy. And while it would probably still take some time for things to get back to normal between them, this was a good start.

"I'm really sorry for messing up your show guys," Troy said. "Especially you, Ryan. It must have taken a hell of a lot of work to get these guys looking good out there."

Ryan shrugged. "I think you might be surprised by how good some of them are," he said. "Even Chad."

"You got Chad to dance?" Troy asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. "But Chad doesn't dance."

"Yeah, well," Chad said. "We're all full of surprises. You should see him play baseball. He got me out."

"Now that is something I would love to see," Troy said. "So, who's ready to go serve some rich people dinner?"

"Actually," Ryan said, putting a hand on Troy's shoulder. "I know my sister can be kind of unbearable sometimes, but I really don't want to see her crash and burn. Not with all those people out there, at least. Probably. Are you sure you don't want to sing with her?"

"I... Isn't that kind of going against everything I just apologized for?" Troy said.

"Do it," Chad said. "We all know who you are. It's the right thing to do."

"I... Okay," Troy said. "Yeah, I guess I can do that."

"Perfect," Ryan said, steering him towards the door. "Because she wants you to learn a new song. Kelsi's in the dining room, she'll help you with it."

"What? Ryan, I don't have time to learn a new--"

"Kelsi will help you," Ryan said again. He pushed Troy through the doors and closed them behind him. He looked through the window and waited until Kelsi started playing, then turned around to face everyone.

"It's time," he said. "Places!"


	17. Chapter 17

"Look! A shooting star!" someone called from somewhere down the line.  Chad looked up in the sky just in time to see it as it passed across their field of view.

"Make a wish," Ryan said.

Chad thought for a moment.  The night had gone perfectly.  The number had gone exactly as planned.  Ryan had won the star dazzle award.  He couldn't imagine being any happier in this moment than he already way.  "You know, I actually think I'm all set," he said.  He threw his lantern up into the sky and reached for Ryan's hand, their finding his fingers in the dark.  It wasn't a bold move, really, but it was something.

"I've got one," Ryan said, tossing his lantern.

"Oh yeah?" Chad asked.  "What is it?"

He watched as their lanterns floated up together, their paths diverging and then intertwining over and over again.  Chad kept his eyes on them as everyone else threw theirs, not wanting to lose them in the sea of lights.

"I can't tell you," Ryan said.  "It won't come true."

"Come on," Chad said.  "That's bullshit and you know it."

"I have never once in my life told a wish," Ryan said.  "I'm not going to break that pattern now."

"And how many of those came true?" Chad asked.

"Well, I've been wishing to win the star dazzle award every summer for years," Ryan said. "And that came true.  So I've got faith."

There was a loud pop as fireworks exploded over their heads, lighting up the entire golf course.  "Come on," Ryan said, pulling Chad's hand. "Let's dance."

"You're joking," Chad said.

"With everyone, not just me," Ryan said.  "Come on, Chad, you can't tell me you don't dance.  That excuse isn't going to work on me anymore."

Chad shook his head, but he did it anyway.  He grabbed Kelsi and Taylor, determined that if he was going to look like an idiot he wasn't going to do it on his own.  So he danced, stupidly, holding hands and skipping and running around in circles.  It was like being a kid again.  He thought of something that Troy had told him once, something that Gabriella had said about singing with him for the first time had felt like kindergarten, when you meet someone and ten seconds later you're best friends.

He had laughed at the time, and in some ways, it still seemed so corny.  This relationship hadn't been like kindergarten at all.  Nothing this summer had.  It wasn't easy, or immediate.  It was hard, and it was work.  But right here and right now, dancing around with his friends, with his  _boyfriend_ even... he suddenly got it.  This was kindergarten.

Suddenly, the sprinklers went off, drenching all of them.  Chad laughed, looking for Ryan in the crowd, and instead found Troy and Gabriella.  They were standing on the hill above everyone else, holding onto each other and looking out over the rest of the wildcats.  The world was right again.

"There you are," Ryan said from behind him.  "I thought I lost you."

"Not a chance," Chad said, turning around.  He took Ryan's hat off his head and put it on his own.  "Got to cover my hair," he said.  "Think it's a good look?"  He turned around, modeling Ryan's fedora.  "You know, you sure do own a lot of these, I just might have to steal this one."

"You'll have to give me one of your baseball caps in return," Ryan said, moving closer.  "It's only fair."

"I don't know about that," Chad said. "But I think I've got a jacket that might work."

Ryan smiled, and then looked up the hill towards Troy and Gabriella.  "They look like proud parents looking over their kids, don't they?"

"They do," Chad said, laughing.  Gabriella caught his eye, and she lead Troy down the hill to where they were standing.

"Hey," Troy said.  "Party at my place after everyone's done here.  If you want to, that is."

"Yeah, of course," Chad said.

"And you too, man," he said to Ryan.

"Are you sure?" Ryan asked.  "I don't want to encroach on wildcat territory."

"No, man, you're one of us now," Troy said.  "I know you've been a really good friend to Gabriella lately.  And this guy too," he said, gesturing towards Chad.  "I don't know how you got him to dance up there."

Ryan and Chad both laughed, and looked at each other.  Ryan placed a hand on his shoulder, and Chad gave him a quick nod.  "Ryan and I are actually dating," he said, throwing it out there indelicately before he had time to get nervous about it.

Troy looked back and forth between the two of them, and Chad's momentary courage began to fade.  He felt an arm reach around his waist, and he leaned into it, putting his arm around Ryan, his grip tight.

"Wait, is that what the texts were about the other night?" Troy asked.  Chad nodded, embarrassed, having almost forgot that he had even sent those.  "No shit.  That's fantastic."

"Really?" Chad asked.

"Yeah, dude," Troy said.  He pulled Chad away from Ryan into another one of those bro hugs.  "I know I'm a jerk for not answering those texts, but I've been wondering who they were about ever since.  You seemed excited about a relationship for the first time in your entire life.  I'm really happy for you."  He took a step back, and put a hand on Ryan's shoulder.  "You're in for a hard time with this kid," he told him.  "But stick with him.  He's worth it."

"I know," Ryan said, taking Chad's hand.  "Believe me, I know he is."

"So we'll see you both tonight?" Gabriella asked.

"Wouldn't miss it," Chad said.

"Let me know if anyone needs a ride," Ryan said.  "I've got my car."

"Great," Troy said.  "I'll let you know.  We're going to go spread the word."  He and Gabriella walked off, arm in arm, towards the rest of the group, who had all given up on dancing and were lying on the ground, looking up at the stars.

Ryan smiled at Chad.  "I wish I could kiss you right now," he said.

"Is that what you wished for on the star?" Chad asked.

"Damn it," Ryan said.  His lips stayed serious but Chad could see the smile in his eyes.  "You got me. Now it's never going to come true."

Chad looked out across the golf course.  The lanterns were strewn across the area, and he wondered which ones were theirs and if they were still together.  Troy and Gabriella were making the rounds, practically glued to each other.  No one was paying attention to him and Ryan, but for the first time, he didn't really care if anyone was.

"Well," Chad said.  He took Ryan's face in his hands and kissed him.  It wasn't like the eager make-out session in the dugout, or their tender kisses in Ryan's bedroom.  It was passionate and genuine.  Public, not private.  It was conscious of the fact that it could be seen, but there was nothing self conscious about it.  "I guess that'll have to be the exception that proves the rule."


End file.
